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Clay Aiken Wins North Carolina Congressional Primary

Published
1:05 PM PDT, May 13, 2014

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American Idol alum Clay Aiken has won the Democratic primary for a North Carolina congressional seat after the accidental death of his closest rival Keith Crisco, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The results are according to a final, unofficial vote posted Tuesday, and will become official after review by the state elections board, which is tentatively scheduled for May 22.

Crisco, the man who challenged Aiken for the Democratic nomination in North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District, was found dead Monday inside his home.

The news -- reported by the Asheboro Courier-Tribune and various other local media in North Carolina -- comes just days after the political race between Aiken and Crisco was considered too close to call.

After last Tuesday’s balloting, Aiken, 35, was leading Crisco, 70, by just 369 votes, and both candidates were awaiting confirmation from election officials before deciding how to proceed in the race, the Courier-Tribune reported.

The newspaper reported that Crisco apparently suffered injuries from a fall Monday afternoon at his home in Asheboro, N.C. and was found dead when emergency services arrived.

Aiken issued the following statement Monday on the news: "I am stunned and deeply saddened by Keith Crisco's death. Keith came from humble beginnings. No matter how high he rose -- to Harvard, to the White House and to the Governor's Cabinet –- he never forgot where he came from. He was a gentleman, a good and honorable man and an extraordinary public servant. I was honored to know him. I am suspending all campaign activities as we pray for his family and friends."